Funworld January 2011

PEOPLE

IN MEMORIAM: Jess Rubio, whose renowned work drawing caricatures for guests at Disneyland in 1957 led him to opening the Rubio Arts Company and training artists who sketched caricatures at Disney parks in Orlando and Anaheim for almost 40 years, died recently in Windermere, Florida, of a sudden illness. Rubio and his street sketchers drew hundreds of thousands of caricatures over the years and became fixtures at the Disney parks. He also had the Disney helium-balloon concession and sold the balloons in the shape of Mickey Mouse’s head that kids can be seen carrying all over the parks. Rubio was 77.

ACQUISITION: Redemption Plus, a top distributor of incentive merchandise, redemption prizes, and management consulting for FECs, announced the acquisition of the Emerald Toy Company, which manufactures and distributes wholesale plush toys. Redemption Plus says the deal provides immediate access to the wholesale plush toy market with a proven brand, and Emerald Toy believes the acquisition removes limitations it faced as a direct importer with no distribution infrastructure.

NEW HEAD OF THE BOARD: David F. D’Alessandro, former chairman and CEO of John Hancock Financial Services (JHFS), has been selected to join SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment (formerly Busch Entertainment Corporation) as chairman of the board. D’Alessandro retired from JHFS in 2006 after leading the company through a transition period from a private mutual company to being publicly held. A graduate of Syracuse University, he appeared on Sporting News magazine’s “Most Powerful People in Sports” list nine consecutive years as a result of a partnership position with the Boston Red Sox and JHFS’s sponsorships of the Boston Marathon, the Olympic Games, and Major League Baseball.

WELCOME: Lo-Q, a leading supplier of virtual queuing systems to amusement parks, has announced the appointment of Tom Burnet as the company’s new CEO. Burnet joins Lo- Q from the Serco Group, where he served as managing director of the company’s Defense Services Division. Before that, he was managing director of QinetiQ’s Capability Support Division, a technical consultancy that worked with government and industry around the world.

William F. Simpson, Jr., formerly Hershey Entertainment & Resorts' (HE&R) vice president and COO, has been elected the company’s new president by its board of directors, effective Oct. 29, 2010. Simpson began his career at HE&R in 1996 as general manager of the Hershey Lodge and Convention Center. He became vice president of entertainment in 2002 and directed the operations of the Hershey Entertainment Complex. Before joining HE&R, he held key positions at the Sheraton Grand Hotel in Houston, Texas, the Opryland Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee, and Hyatt Hotels.

WELL DONE: Morgan’s Wonderland in San Antonio, Texas, the world’s first amusement park designed specifically to be ultra-accessible to special-needs guests, was named a winner in Budget Travel’s 6th Annual Extra Mile Awards, which single out “forward-thinking companies—and people—working to make your vacation simpler, more affordable, and more fun.” Budget Travel highlighted, among other things, the park’s Braille signage and policy of no admission charge to persons with special needs.

PRODUCTS

THOSE ARE REAL SUBMARINES: “Deep Sea— Explore Inside,” built by KaGo & Hammerschmidt GmbH, is an underwater landscape attraction guests explore in real submarines. Featured at EAS 2010 in Rome, the attraction submerges guests 16 feet below the water’s surface, where the four-passenger subs encounters numerous animatronic creatures and is attacked by sea monsters, dives through caves, and traverses an underwater volcano. The subs offer all passengers panoramic views and can accommodate 800 guests per hour year round, regardless of weather.

MOVING INTO THE PARKS MARKET: KMIT Solutions’ software suite has already proven successful in the zoo and museum market, and now the company is entering the amusement park and waterpark markets. The modular software solutions will serve multiple business operations, from the ticket counter to food, retail, and special events. KMIT’s parent company, K&M International, has been serving attractions worldwide for more than 30 years.